11/30/2012

2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season Ends

Today is the last day of the Atlantic hurricane season. Early predictions from NOAA in May called for an "average" season of 9-15 named storms; 4-8 of which would become hurricanes, and about 3 of THOSE would become major hurricanes (Category 3 or greater).

We had a quick start with Alberto and Beryl before the season even began in May. Then the Atlantic went quiet through June and most of July before firing back up. By the end of October we had 19 named storms, 9 hurricanes, and no major hurricanes.

Isaac and Sandy were the most memorable, because they hit the U.S. coast and caused by far the most damage. Even though these storms can be frightening, they help balance out the water table in a time of year when rainfall is scarce. Here's an image from the National Weather Service showing the tracks of all 19 named storms.